


Love Lost, Love Found

by CUKat23



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Ladies Loving Ladies, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-09 03:32:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11660748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CUKat23/pseuds/CUKat23
Summary: What if a few months after the jail scene, Sara realizes she messed up and goes back to find Nyssa only to realize she's gone? Sara goes on the hunt for the love of her life and recruits an old friend from the League to help her track down Nyssa.  (No character deaths) (Lots of flashback scenes)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this crazy idea out of nowhere and no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't leave my brain so here it is. I love the Sara/Nyssa dynamic and I've always wanted a bit of a back story for them. This story is going to be laid out a bit like the Arrow style where it will alternate between present day and flashbacks. So even though Nyssa isn't in the first bit of the "present times" you'll get lots of Nyssara story in the flashbacks. Expect there to be a healthy mix of fluff, humor, and angst throughout this story. Last but not least, I hope you guys fall in love with this original character that I'm attempting to bring to life. I already have so much love for her and I hope you guys feel the same!

Sara paced nervously around the dark, empty hotel room and checked the clock on the nightstand for the fifth time in as many minutes.It had been 397 days, 12 hours, and now 14 minutes since she walked away from the jail cell in Nanda Parbat where Nyssa was being held.She knew right then, she should not have listened to Nyssa.She should’ve killed everyone in the league if that’s what it took to free the woman she loved but she was foolish.She thought that by listening to Nyssa, by leaving with the Legends and saving the timeline, she could save herself.Save her soul.It took over a year and completing her mission with the Legends for her to see that the thing that could save her soul was Nyssa.Nyssa’s love had always been the light in the dark for over 5 years with the League.Leaving the League had been the best thing decision she had ever made but leaving Nyssa, that had darkened her and made her afraid to love again.

So, Sara had helped the Legends defeat Vandal Savage and find order after the time masters were killed but as soon as the dust settled, she had the crew drop her off in Nanda Parbat, 2017.Dressed in full White Canary gear, she had snuck into the League headquarters only to find it completely abandoned.The place looked like it had laid untouched for a long time before Sara had arrived.There were no signs of a struggle, it was like everyone had just packed up and left.It didn’t make sense so Sara hopped on the next flight out and ended up in Star City where she caught up with Oliver who had told her the story of what happened.About Oliver defeating Merlyn for the title of Ra’s al Ghul and then handing the League over to Nyssa.He told her about Nyssa disbanding the League and going quiet for long periods of time.Luckily, she had left Oliver a way to contact her in case of an emergency so Sara took the crinkled-up piece of paper he had given her and left out to find Nyssa; but the brunette assassin was not at the location Oliver had given her and weeks later, Sara had yet to get a lead on the woman.

She tried not to let her emotions get the better of her but the more she searched and came up empty, the more frustrated and angry the blonde got.Which is how she found herself in a dingy hotel room in Qatar.The trail on Nyssa was too cold and she needed help so she had taken a different approach and started hunting down an old friend from the League who was an expert in tracking, in addition to knowing Nyssa longer than almost anyone.Sara had made it this far and was just waiting on a contact to give her exact location of her search.

Finally, there were three rapid knocks on the door that broke the silence of the hotel room and Sara rushed across the room and checked the peephole.Confirming it was her contact, she opened the door and let him slide in the room.

“It took some hunting down but I think I found who you’re looking for,” the tall man said flatly through a thick Middle Eastern accent.He handed her a manila envelope that was sealed at the top.

Sara promptly ripped the envelope open and pulled out the photos inside.She rolled her eyes at the photos, not surprised at all that who she was looking for would be in a dark bar on the bad side of town.“Thank you Rueben,” she said to the man, “this is exactly what I need.”

“Any friend of Oliver’s is a friend of mine,” the man said.“Please let him know that I send my regards.”

Sara nodded her head at the man as he exited the hotel room into the dim light outside.It was closing in on sunset and Sara needed to do this tonight.She had to find a lead on Nyssa and make sure the woman was alright.The blonde quickly crossed the room and grabbed her duffel bag that had been dropped unceremoniously on the floor.She threw it on the bed and started digging through it in search for an outfit.She quickly found a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a simple top.She needed to blend into the atmosphere of the bar so she grabbed her leather jacket for effect.She made it to the bar rather fast on foot so by the time she got there, it was still a little early for the regulars to start pouring in.She ordered a drink at the bar and found a corner seat.There were only a few other patrons in the bar and all of them looked at Sara curiously as she walked by.So much for being discreet, she thought.

She waited in her corner seat for a long time.Sunset had turned into dark and several regular customers had come and gone but Sara still sat in the corner, nursing her second drink.She was just about to call it quits and chock up the night as a loss when the door swung open and a familiar figure entered the bar.The woman stood about 5’10 with a muscular but lean frame.She wore loose fitting jeans and a black V-neck shirt.A fair-sized silver pendent hanging from around her neck fell loosely down the front.Her jet-black hair was shaved almost to the scalp on the sides but was slightly longer on top and pushed back into a modern pompadour style.Sara watched as she crossed the room and stopped at the bar, picking up a drink the bartender had already prepared for her.She looked around the room slowly and chose a table on the opposite side of the room from Sara.

Sara watched the woman for a few minutes but eventually got up and crossed the room, stopping at the table where the brunette was sitting, sipping her whiskey.She looked up towards Sara and for the briefest of moments, a look of surprise passed over her handsome features.As soon as it appeared, though, it was gone.She fixed her dark eyes back on her glass and signaled to the chair across from her with a heavily tattooed arm.

Sara took the seat and sat quietly for a few moments before the silence annoyed her and she spoke, “Kala…”

“I’ve always been surprised by how bold you are Ta-er al-Sahfer,” the woman interrupted.“Not many would set a private investigator on a former member of the League and then approach them in a dark bar.” The woman spoke with a light accent indicative of her upbringing in the Middle East.

“You knew you were being followed?” Sara asked.

“You seem surprised?You know how good I am at what I do,” she said.

Sara shrugged, “I’m not surprised that you found out you were being followed.I’m surprised that you knew and Rueben came back to me alive.”

“You know, I just had a feeling I wanted to meet the person with such nerve.”

“I needed to find you Kala,” Sara said. “What are you doing in Qatar?”

“Since your beloved disbanded the league and put us all out on our asses, those of us with specific skills have been finding work where we can,” Kala said through gritted, white teeth.

“That’s actually why I’m here, I need your specific skills,” Sara said.

“My prices are steep these days.I’m not sure you could afford my services Sara,” Kala said finally revealing the small, playful smirk Sara had remembered her for.

Sara was thankful to see Kala’s defenses drop just a bit.Nyssa, Sara, and Kala had been inseparable in the League.They had gone on almost all their missions together, trained together, and spent their free moments together.On more than one occasion, Kala had covered for Nyssa and Sara when they had snuck off behind Ra’s back and Sara had fought beside Kala in many bars when the brunette had attempted to pick up some guy’s girlfriend.

“I was kind of hoping you would do this as a favor, for an old friend,” Sara said.

“I like expensive whiskey and beautiful women Sara, favors don’t pay for that lifestyle,” Kala said finishing the whiskey in her glass as if to prove a point.

“Kala, it’s Nyssa.She’s missing,” Sara said seriously.

Kala squeezed the glass in her hand harder and Sara feared she might bust the glass with her strong grip.“Nyssa is never missing.If you can’t find her, it’s because she doesn’t want to be found.”

Sara shook her head, “No, it’s not like that.Something isn’t right.I’ve been back to the League headquarters, I’ve been to all her old safehouses, to Puerto Rico, even Russia.She’s nowhere and when I went to her place in Greece, I found all her weapons and most of her wardrobe.When have you known Nyssa to go anywhere without a full arsenal?”

Kala looked thoughtful for a few moments and then shook her head, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

Sara grew angry, “Kala, Nyssa is your friend and she is missing.I know you’re angry about the League but she needs your help and I need your help.”

Kala banged her fist hard on the table and raised her voice. “You think this is about Nyssa disbanding the League!?” she asked fiercely.She looked up and noticed several heads turned in their direction, watching the confrontation.She dropped her voice back down so only the two of them could hear it and looked back at Sara, eyes and voice still fiery.“Nyssa turned her back on me, she turned her back on all of us, but me?We were raised together.I have been her best friend and truest ally for nearly 20 years and she just walked away and never bothered to contact me for over a year.I get that disbanding the League is what she had to do, just like you had to leave and find your soul again and I get that.What I don’t get is why she would kick all of us out on our asses and forget we ever existed.A lot of us were her family most of her life.We are the League but the League is not us; yet when she burned that ring, she burned all of us from her memory as well.”

Sara shook her head, “You know Nyssa as well as I do, if she wasn’t in contact with you there was a reason.She might have known this threat was coming and distanced herself.There’s more to the story and I know deep down you know it too.She loved you Kala, like a sister.Something is not right.Please help me find her.”

Kala shook her head again and looked down into her empty glass.

Sara grew frustrated the stood up from the table suddenly, she leaned down with both hands on the table and got close to Kala’s face.She would not dare do this with Kala if she didn’t know the woman so well and know that she would never hurt Sara, “Kala, I need your help and we both know all signs point to the fact that Nyssa needs your help.I’m asking you after all we’ve been through together, to put your silly pride to the side and help me find Nyssa.To bring her back to me.I made a mistake a little over a year ago when I left her in that jail cell, I won’t leave her again and I need your help for that.”

The blonde stood up straight and considered Kala’s dark eyes, “I’m staying at The Diamond for the night if you change your mind.” She dropped her room key on the table in front of the woman and immediately turned away and walked out of the bar.

She had made it about a quarter mile from the bar when she heard footsteps behind her and turned around to find Kala standing there with her hands in her jacket pockets.“You were always one for the dramatics,” she said offering Sara her room key back.

“Does this mean you’re going to help me?” Sara asked, looking up at the woman she considered to be one of her best friends.

“I’m not going to let you go into this alone, not knowing who Nyssa might have got herself into trouble with,” Kala said.“Plus, I’m still angry with Nyssa but you’re right, her not staying in contact with me was out of character and she would do the same for me.I think.”

“She would,” Sara said reassuringly, resting her left hand on Kala’s right bicep.

Kala simply nodded towards the direction Sara had been headed, “Want to show me what you’ve got so far?”

“Yeah, come on.I’ll show you my classy hotel room,” Sara said starting back on her path.They walked a few blocks in silence before Sara held up the room key, “I’m glad you decided to help me.This is the only room key I had.”

Kala laughed out loud at Sara and put her arm around the younger girl, “I knew it.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the first flashback. I'm a little nervous about writing Sara/Nyssa interaction but here it goes! I hope you guys love it! Please let me know!

_Sara grunted and pushed herself up from the ground for what felt like the millionth time for the day.  Every muscle in her body ached and she was covered from head to toe in bruises, some of which she couldn’t even recall where they had come from at this point.  Since Nyssa had pulled her onto that boat off the coast of Lian Yu, she had gotten the crap kicked out of her every single day.  She didn’t complain too much because she was alive, she was training to be a literal ninja, and she was slowly falling in love with a beautiful woman (which was a surprising twist in more ways than one) but she could stand to take a few less knocks._

_“Ta-Er al-Sahfer, if you cannot learn to block that combo, you will never survive a single day on a mission,” Nyssa said coolly, as if she had just told Sara the most dull thing in the world.  But Sara could see the fire in her eyes.  They had run through this exercise over and over and Sara was having trouble jumping the leg sweep at the end of the combo.  Every time, the man standing across from her, who was now looking bored, had made contact with her legs and sent her crashing to the ground._

_“Again,” Nyssa said to the man who simply nodded._

_Sara prepared herself once again for the onslaught of punches and kicks from the seasoned League member.  This exercise was all about regaining the advantage when you start out being on the defensive.  Sara had to block each of the man’s attacks and then reverse one of his moves back on him to flip the odds in her favor.  They both bowed and then stood up in a fighting stance.  The man immediately opened with a couple swift punches at her face, that Sara blocked easily, followed by a kick to the ribs that she was able to catch just before it made contact.  The man spun around quickly and swung three times more at Sara, increasingly harder.  She blocked the first two and then caught his hand on the third one, spinning them both around quickly.  She attempted a high kick towards the man’s head but he ducked quickly and swung his leg around on the ground.  Sara saw it coming before she ever lifted her leg off the ground.  They had done this exercise time and time again and this had been the move combination they had done every time.  Sara attempted to switch her weight quickly and jump the leg sweep but once again, he made contact before she could get off the ground and she went flying in the air, landing hard on her left side.  Her shoulder made contact first and she grunted loudly enough for Nyssa to hear over the thud of Sara hitting the ground.  She laid there a moment before she tried to move but as soon as she did, a pain shot through her entire arm and she hissed quietly, grabbing onto her left shoulder with her right hand._

_“Leave us,” Nyssa said harshly to the man standing next to Sara.  She could hear a mixture of frustration and worry in Nyssa’s voice that the man probably thought was only anger from Sara’s failure.  He quickly bowed to Nyssa and then Sara, leaving the room in a hurry._

_As soon as the man was gone, Nyssa crouched beside Sara and pulled the blonde’s hand away from her injured shoulder.  She gently put her own hands on the arm and lifted it slowly, checking Sara’s range of motion.  She made Sara do several full circles before she was satisfied that the blonde wasn’t too injured.  “You’re going to feel it in the morning, but you’ll be okay,” she said finally._

_“I’m sorry Nyssa, I just can’t get this.  Your dad is going to kill me…literally.  You know, he’s a very intense man,” Sara said to the brunette crouched in front of her._

_Nyssa smiled softly and shook her head, “You are going to get this Ta-er al-Sahfer.  You just have to focus.  You’re too flat footed in your attack to be able to react quickly enough for his counter attack.  Get up, I’ll show you.”  The brunette offered her hand to Sara and when Sara grabbed on, she pulled her up from the floor. “Okay, you are going to perform your kick on me and I’m going to duck.  Immediately jump in preparation for the leg sweep okay?  But the trick is, to be on your toes the entire time.  If you get flat footed, you’re done for.  We’ll do it in slow motion the first couple times and then speed it up.”_

_Sara nodded her understanding and then took a deep breath in determination.  She pushed herself up on the balls of her feet and then waited for Nyssa’s go ahead nod.  Nyssa nodded once and Sara swung her leg into the air, Nyssa ducked just as she said she would and Sara prepared for the jump.  Both feet hit the ground and she immediately jumped, narrowly avoiding Nyssa’s leg sweep.  Both feet landed back on the ground and she looked at Nyssa in shock.  “I did it!”_

_Nyssa smiled and nodded, “Again, faster.”_

_The two women did the motion again and again with Sara avoiding Nyssa’s leg sweep every single time.  They were doing it at full speed for the sixth of seventh time when Sara started to feel herself growing tired.  She managed to avoid Nyssa’s leg sweep again but she landed a little awkwardly and felt herself falling forward anyways.  Nyssa recovered quickly enough to catch her in strong arms but it put her off balance and they both fell to the floor with Nyssa pinned beneath Sara._

_Sara couldn’t help herself and began laughing uncontrollably at the sequence of events.  Nyssa smiled from below her while she waited on the blonde to regain her composure but it didn’t seem to be coming.  Sara continued laughing for several minutes and Nyssa just laid there quietly, letting her get it all out of her system._

_“I’m….sorry…” Sara struggled out through her dying laughter.  “I don’t know…why I’m laughing…I’m just so exhausted,” she said, finally gaining some control._

_“It’s okay,” Nyssa said gently through her smile._

_Sara looked down at the beautiful brunette below her and noticed the position they were in.  The two had been flirting back and forth since Sara woke up on the boat off of Lian Yu and recently they had gotten even closer.  More often than not, lately, Sara had found them in circumstances like this.  Extremely close and staring into each other’s eyes, both wanting more but both too nervous about the repercussions of a relationship between the two of them.  The room was quiet but charged as Sara looked down into Nyssa’s eyes and debated doing what she had been thinking about for weeks now.  Finally, her reserve broke and she launched herself forward at Nyssa, landing her lips on the brunette’s hardly._

_Nyssa was surprised at first by Sara’s boldness but she recovered quickly and returned the kiss.  They had been dancing around this moment for weeks but Nyssa never planned to cross the line for fear of punishment from her father.  But now that Sara’s lips were pressed against hers and their bodies were pressed together tightly on the ground, she couldn’t find it in her to care about any form of punishment, her father could come up with (and he was a creative man)._

_Sara linked one of her hands with Nyssa’s and pinned it to the cold floor, deepening the kiss even further.  She could feel Nyssa’s other hand tentatively beginning to roam on her side and down to her hip.  The room was quiet except for the sounds of soft moans and kissing sounds and the kiss was growing more heated by the second as the initial nervousness floated away and their attraction for one another took complete control._

_The peacefulness in the room was suddenly broken when the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the quiet.  The two women shot away from each other so fast that even Nyssa stumbled over herself in her attempt to put some distance between them.  She looked in the direction of the noise and saw who it was, letting out a sigh._

_“You startled me, Kala” Nyssa said easily transitioning into smooth Arabic._

_“I could tell,” Kala responded in the same language.  She looked over to Sara and switched into English for the blonde’s benefit.  She knew she was still learning the language so her understanding was spotty at best.  “You two should be more careful.  It could have just as easily been your father,” the woman said to Nyssa._

_“We would appreciate your discretion,” Nyssa said to the woman in front of her who she had basically grown up with._

_“Your secrets have always been safe with me,” Kala said.  She had known about Nyssa’s sexual preferences for a very long time and had even gone so far as to cover for Nyssa when she had taken a bit too long on a mission but she had never had to help Nyssa cover up an affair within the League._

_Kala looked to the blonde who was still standing a good distance away from the two of them.  “You master that leg sweep combo yet?”_

_Sara looked confused but answered none the less, “I’m getting there.”_

_“Good, you may need it if you do not tread carefully around here with this relationship,” she said with a devilish smile._

_“Kala…” Nyssa warned.  She looked to Sara, who to her credit, looked unfazed for the most part._

_“I’ll practice more.  It’s worth it,” she said shooting a wink at the tall, brunette._

_Kala looked impressed and nodded her head.  “I’ll leave you two to it,” she said simply and left the room._

_Once Kala had exited the room and closed the door behind her, Sara let out a sigh.  “I’m sorry Nyssa.  I…”_

_“Do you regret what just happened?” Nyssa interrupted bluntly._

_“No, of course not, I just…” Sara started but was interrupted again._

_“Then do not apologize for it.  I do not regret it either and I would very much like for it to continue if you’re okay with that.” Nyssa said taking a few steps back into Sara’s personal space._

_“Right now?” Sara asked with a smirk._

_“Well yes, but also in the future,” Nyssa said, taking the final steps closer to Sara and pushing a loose hair behind the shorter woman’s ear._

_“Nyssa al Ghul, are you asking a lowly, assassin in training on a date?” Sara asked playfully._

_“You talk too much Sara,” Nyssa said playfully and pulled the girl in for another hard kiss._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have a beta for my Nyssara stuff so bear with me on errors. If I catch them, I will fix them :) This chapter was a bit of a filler to get where we're going so hold tight.

Sara and Kala sat in the penthouse apartment that Kala had been living in the past several months.  They had initially went back to Sara’s hotel room but one look around and Kala demanded she pack up all her things and come stay at her apartment.  Now it had become a base of operations of sorts.  They were struggling into Day 3 of pouring over all of the information Sara had brought with her.  Kala didn’t mind all the research too much but it was driving Sara crazy.  Sara had always been more of a “doer” than a “planner.”

The blonde was sat in the chair with her feet resting on the coffee table going through a file for what seemed like the hundredth time.  On the opposite end of the table, Kala was leaned over a large map, occasionally drawing a circle or an “X” with a note beside it.  Sara huffed and tossed the file onto the coffee table where it landed just a few inches from Kala’s map.  She looked up at Sara and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the woman.

“I’m sick of sitting here.  We haven’t made any progress,” Sara said in a clearly frustrated tone.

“Patience was never your strong suit,” Kala said, looking back down at the map in front of her and making another note.

It bugged Sara how calm Kala always was even in stressful situations.  “I’ve been doing this for months Kala.  I’ve poured over these files and notes and it hasn’t led me anywhere.  We don’t even have a place to start looking.”

Kala looked up at Sara and saw the pain in her eyes.  She had seen the same look in her eyes back in the bar a few days ago.  She could see that Sara was getting desperate and when Sara got desperate, she tended to get reckless and without Nyssa here to pull her back in from that void, she worried she would lose Nyssa and Sara forever.  She decided to throw the blonde a bone.  She hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up but she had a good feeling about the research she was doing.

“Bring that list of potential suspects and come over here,” Kala said patting the couch beside her. 

Sara grabbed the list and sat down next to Kala, looking over the maps that had drawings everywhere on it by now.  “There’s a lot going on here,” she said.

“It’s all color coded,” Kala said pointing at a map key in the bottom right hand corner.  “The blue “X’s” are all of the sightings we have of Nyssa before she went dark thanks to your friend Felicity.  Purple circles are her regular safe houses and other places she might stay.  Green lines are all of the known flights, boats, and buses Nyssa has taken in that same amount of time.  Got it so far?” Sara nodded her head slowly.  “Okay, lastly, we’re going to use red to mark the last known locations of all of our suspects around the time Nyssa fell off the grid and look for any overlapping “X’s” or lines.  Once we have a name or two…”

“We start cracking skulls,” Sara interrupted with a fire in her eyes.

“Exactly,” Kala responded with a similar fire.

Both women took a red marker and half of the stack.  Nyssa and the League had made a lot of enemies through the years which made their suspect list rather long.  Once they finally completed marking all of the X’s, Sara left Kala to finish up the map.  She needed a hot shower to clear her mind and calm down a bit. 

Sara stood under the hot water as it beat down on her back and enjoyed the slight burn it caused.  She was trying to wash away so much more than dirt.  The small bathroom filled with steam quickly and Sara breathed in the scent of lavender and mint from the oils she had put in her mobile aromatherapy kit.  The oils were a blend that Nyssa had made and given her one of the last times they saw one another.  It was a scent that Nyssa used in her baths to help her relax after a mission and it reminded her of Nyssa.  The bottle was small and Sara had little left so she only used it on occasions when she missed the brunette or needed to clear her mind.  She had used it several times since she returned home and found Nyssa missing.  She just needed to feel close, to feel like there was still hope of finding her alive.

She drifted off to a place and a time that seemed so far away.  Back to the first summer she and Nyssa spent in Italy together.  It hadn’t taken Ra’s long to see that Nyssa, Sara, and Kala were an unstoppable team so he sent them on the toughest and the longest missions.  This benefited Nyssa and Sara more than anyone because they didn’t have to sneak around Nanda Parbat to avoid being caught together.  He had sent them to Italy to assassinate some high ranking members of the largest gang in the area.  The trick, was that it had to be done over a long period of time to avoid detection.  Sara and Nyssa had gotten to spend days on the beach and evenings in the league safe house until duty called. 

Sara didn’t realize there were hot tears running down her face at the memory until she heard a loud banging on the bathroom door.  She wiped them away furiously as she heard the door to the bathroom swing open and Kala entered the room with a booming “Ta-er-al-Sahfer!”

“You scared the shit out of me Kala! I’m glad I didn’t have the curtain open,” Sara said with a scoff.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before and you’re going to want to hear this now.”

Sara rolled her eyes at Kala’s bluntness but nonetheless blushed a bit at the memory Kala was referring to.  She was glad there was a black shower curtain between them otherwise the teasing about Sara blushing would never end, “Well, what is it?” she finally responded when Kala gave no other explanation.

“I have a lead and if we catch a plane tonight, we can be there by morning,” Kala smiled when she heard the water shut off immediately and saw Sara’s towel disappear from the top of the shower rod and into her side of the curtain.  Moments later, the curtain was pulled open and Sara stood there wrapped in a towel.  Her blonde hair was soaking wet and her eyes were a bit puffy but Kala decided now wasn’t the time to delve into that. 

“Then what are we waiting for?” Sara asked the brunette.

“Uh, you to put some clothes on first of all.  It’s going to be hard to blend in if that’s your outfit of choice,” Kala said laughing.

Sara stepped out of the shower and threw a sarcastic look at Kala before leaving the room, “Give me 10 minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

Kala nodded and headed to her own room to throw a bag together.  She packed up all the necessities and then made her way to the living room to add in all of her paperwork and maps. 

“What about weapons?” Sara said entering the room with a small duffel bag thrown over one shoulder and a backpack on her back.  She had her wet hair pulled up into a tight bun and was dressed in a pair of tight black pants and a loose fitting grey tank top.  The outfit was tied together with her black boots and, as always, her black leather jacket. 

Kala zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder, “Since we’re flying, taking them with us is out of the question but I have a connection in Sao Paulo that can help us out I think. I’ll make a call on the way to the airport.”

Sara nodded and watched as Kala stuffed a few things in her pockets and grabbed her keys, “I hate Brazil.”

“No one hates Brazil, Sara,” Kala said with a scoff.

“I do.”

Sara followed the brunette out of the apartment and they made their way to the elevator that would take them to the underground parking garage.

“You don’t hate Brazil, you hate the memories that are associated with Brazil,” Kala said.  “That was a long time ago.  You have to learn to start letting things go.”

“Because you’re the queen of letting things go.  Have you talked to Isabelle lately?” Sara asked in a tone that suggested she already knew the answer to the question.

Kala shook her head and ignored the jab from Sara.  They walked in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to the car and soon were in route to the airport.  Sara sat nervously in the passenger seat and spun the one weapon she was going to be able to sneak on the plane with her between her hands.  It was a small solid black knife made out of obsidian.  She had picked it up years ago on a mission in Greece from a street vendor.  It had caught her attention for its beauty but it proved useful later on when she discovered, it wasn’t detectable by metal detectors. 

It didn’t take them long to arrive at the airport and grab their bags out of the back of the SUV.   It was Kala who finally spoke first once they had made their way inside the airport, “Tickets are on hold at the gate.  Let’s go get on this plane and go find your girl.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect to see some more Nyssa and Sara love next chapter and who is Isabelle???


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially bitten off more than I can chew! lol. I have so many active fics right now and haven't had nearly enough time to work on them but bear with me. I think you're going to like where this one is going. I would say 1-3 more chapters before we find out what happened to Nyssa :) don't give up on me yet folks! Sorry it's taking so long!

The flight from Qatar to Brazil was uneventful.  They had two layovers, both of which went smoothly.  The most exciting part of the trip was Kala and Sara making a game out of shamelessly flirting with every flight attendant on all four planes.  They landed in Brazil at 5 am and quickly made it down to baggage claim to collect their bags.  Much to Sara's surprise, there was a woman standing just outside the airport pick-up gate that she recognized immediately.  She walked up to the woman, whose dark hair hung long and straight and smiled, kindly.  She had beat Kala out the door of the airport because her bag had come off the chute earlier and after being in airports and airplanes for almost two days, she needed the fresh air. 

"I can't believe I came," the woman said in perfect Portuguese with a humorless chuckle. Though her tone was a bit biting, she still smiled warmly, flashing bright, white teeth at Sara as the blonde came in for a hug. 

Sara smiled sympathetically at the woman, "I can't either but I do appreciate it.  We could use all the help we could get."  She knew her Portuguese was a bit rusty but it seemed to be coming back to her.

Just as the two women were finishing up greetings, Kala came strutting out of baggage claim, missing a step when she laid eyes on Sara standing next to the woman with the taller, olive skinned woman.  Earlier bravado gone, she walked up to the two women looking sheepish and Sara was a bit surprised to see this side of Kala.  Usually the woman was tough and confident and showed little emotion, much like Nyssa but despite years working together, Sara had never seen her nervous before.  Yet, Kala stood in front of them gripping her bag handle tightly and finally speaking a quiet, "hey" to the tall brunette. 

Isabelle shook her head at Kala's weak hello and pointed towards the black Mercedes sitting in a parking spot a few feet behind her.  "Just throw your bags in the trunk and get in," she said with an eye roll to Kala and a smile to Sara.

Both women followed her instructions and threw the small bit of luggage they had brought with them into the back of her car and got in.  Sara sat in the passenger seat at Kala's insistence while the short haired woman climbed in the back seat and sat quietly.  The ride was quiet and awkward for several minutes and when Sara grew tired of it, she finally spoke.

"How have you been Isabelle?" she asked in English.

"I have been busy," Isabelle said through her thick Brazilian accent. "But it keeps my mind off other things."  Sara did not miss the glare that Isabelle threw into the rearview mirror at Kala.

"Still working with Paolo?" Sara asked cautiously. 

Isabelle laughed, "Absolutely not.  We went our separate ways about eight months ago.  I am running my own business now."

"I'm glad to hear it," Sara said.  "And is business good?"

"Not as good as my former business but I stay busy for the most part and it is much less dangerous," Isabelle said with a shrug.  Sara smiled in understanding.

They rode in silence for a bit longer before Sara spoke once again, "Where are we headed?"

"Well your colleague had some very specific requests," Isabelle said once again making eye contact with Kala in the rearview mirror. "So, we're headed to my place first, to pick up supplies."

"Thank you again," Kala said from the backseat. 

Isabelle's eyes snapped up to the mirror and she looked coldly at Kala.  "I'm not doing it for you," she said.  "I am doing this for Sara and Nyssa.  They were always good to me."

Kala nodded stiffly and looked back to the hands she was wringing slowly in her lap. 

The rest of the ride was filled with conversation between Sara and Isabelle but not much more input from Kala.  They drove through the busy streets of Rio de Janeiro and finally pulled up in front of a medium sized building with a big, green door. 

"Here we are," Isabelle said as the parked the car in front of the building and hopped out, walking up to the green door, unlocking it, and swinging it open. 

Once Sara entered the building, she could see that Isabelle had been busy in the last several months.  What she walked into was a beautiful art gallery with paintings and sculptures scattered about, filling the room but not crowding it either.  She looked around in admiration, "You have been busy" she said with a laugh. 

Isabelle shrugged and then indicated for the two women to follow her.  They walked through the art gallery and through a back door with Isabelle closing the door behind them securely.  She walked over to the opposite wall where she pushed on a false panel which slowly opened to reveal a set of stairs leading straight down below the building.  She flicked on a light and then led the two women down into a large, basement room. 

Once they had made it down the stairs and all of the lights had kicked on, Sara looked around the room in awe.  The walls, tables, and cabinets were full of weapons of all kinds.  Knives, swords, guns, bo staffs, anything you could possibly need to gear up a small military was all right here at your fingertips.

"I thought you were out of this particular business," Sara said with a smirk to let Isabelle know there was no judgement. 

Isabelle shrugged and looked around the room.  "I am but one can never be too prepared.  Plus, I had plenty of leftover stock from the old days and it seemed wasteful to just get rid of it.  I still occasionally do some work with long standing clients.”

Sara looked around the room and then back at the model like woman who had sat down on a table on the opposite of the room with her legs crossed.  She had pulled her hair around over one shoulder and was looking down at her nails, slowly kicking her foot. She looked completely innocent and harmless but Sara could name at least five uprising against tyrannical governments that had been solely funded and supplied by this woman. 

She looked up at Sara, “Take whatever you need.  It’s just gathering dust down here,” she said. 

Sara nodded and began looking around, running her fingertips over several weapons. She picked up a knife here and a throwing star there, tucking them into her clothes or the duffel bag which rested on her shoulder.  She finally landed on a selection of bo staffs and carefully tested each one, seeing which one suited her needs best.  No matter how effective she was with literally any weapon in this room, Sara had always been a creature of habit.  The first weapon Nyssa had trained her with was a bo staff and though she had trained in many other weapons, she always found herself coming back to it.  She finally picked a black bo staff that was collapsible, separated the two parts, and tucked it into her duffel bag.  She picked up a few other weapons and then turned to Kala who was examining and comparing a couple different bows.  She watched as the woman pulled back the string on one and tested the weight.  She wasn’t the only one who was a creature of habit.  Kala had always been a fan of the bow, much like Ollie. 

Kala nodded, seemingly approving of her choice of weapon and slung the bow over her shoulder and onto her back.  She had also tucked a few different knives and other sharp weapons into a bag for later.  Sara walked over to Kala and spoke, “Got everything you need?”

Kala nodded and patted her pants pocket, “I believe so.”

“Okay,” Sara said before leaning in a bit closer and talking in a low voice only her and Kala could here.  “I’m going to excuse myself upstairs to make a phone call. You guys should talk.  Just in case.” Sara left the unspoken words hanging in the air. They both understood that they had no idea who Nyssa had gotten into trouble with and what they were walking into in the coming days.

Kala started to argue at first but Sara gave her no time before walking over and thanking Isabelle for all her help and hugging the woman.  She quickly darted up the stairs and disappeared through the false panel, letting it click loudly behind her.

Isabelle didn’t acknowledge that her and Kala were the only ones left in the room. She continued picking at her nails quietly and all but ignored Kala’s existence.  Finally, Kala seemed to be done with being ignored and dropped her bag and the bow she had picked out to the ground with a thump and a sigh.  She rubbed the back of her neck thoughtfully and cleared her throat.  “Isabelle…I…” she started in perfect Portuguese.

Isabelle’s head shot up and she raised her hand in front of her effectively cutting off the rest of Kala’s sentence.  “Don’t do that,” she responded forcefully in the same broken English as before.

“Don’t do what?” Kala said, ignoring the fact that Isabelle refused to speak to her in Portuguese.

“What you’re doing,” Isabelle said in exasperation.  “Don’t stand over there looking solemn and sorry when I haven’t heard from you in over a year.”

Kala calmly shook her head, “Isabelle, I am sorry.” 

Isabelle scoffed and stood up from the table abruptly. “I’m as likely to believe that as I am to believe that you ever cared for me in the first place,” she said harshly.

For the first time, Kala’s cool mask faded, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what I said,” Isabelle said.  She closed a bit more of the distance between her and Kala and looked at the slightly taller woman with a fire in her eyes usually reserved for the scum of the earth.  It pained Kala to have that look directed at her.  “You stood in the apartment we shared and told me that you would do anything for me.  That being with me, that I, meant more to you than anything else in this world and yet, as soon as the League called, you disappeared in the night without even the decency to wake me up and tell me you were leaving.  All I got was a note that didn’t even fully explain the situation.” 

By this point Isabelle had closed even more distance between her and Kala and was standing just a few feet from the brunette.  “After six months, I at least deserved a full explanation.”

“You did,” Kala agreed quietly. 

“Then why? Why couldn’t you give me one?” Isabelle asked angrily.

“Because the circumstances were…complicated…”

Isabelle interrupted again with a scoff, “Everything is always complicated with you Kala.”

“There’s more to the story than you know,” Kala said shaking her head.

“I’m aware of that,” Isabelle said.  “If anyone can understand the line of business you’re in and complications involved with it, you should have known that I could.”  Isabelle paused for a moment to give Kala a chance to speak but when it seemed she didn’t have anything to say, the shorter woman continued.  “I wasn’t asking for details or for you to give me confidential information.  Hell, I wasn’t even asking for you to stay.  If you didn’t want to be here, I would’ve never forced you to stay.”

Kala looked up and red slightly tinted the tops of her ears giving away the anger she felt, “It had nothing to do with that,” she snapped.  “I wanted to be here.  I wanted to be with you.  I’ve always told you, I would choose you over anyone else in this world.”

“Then why didn’t you choose me that time,” Isabelle spat loudly in anger.  “Why didn’t you choose me then?”

“I did!” Kala shouted back in exasperation.  “I chose your life over our life together!”

Isabelle’s face contorted in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

Kala shook her head and started to walk away, angry at herself for revealing more than she should.  She did not want to go down this road today.

Isabelle grabbed her arm before she could get far, “No, you do not get to walk away.  What are you talking about?”

Kala shook her head and sighed, “When we met, Sara, Nyssa, and I had only been in town about a week.”

Isabelle nodded, already knowing this part of the story but not wanting to interrupt the woman for fear that she would clam up.

“The mission should have only taken three months at most,” Kala continued. “It was a deep intel mission and we were to gather the information we needed and return to Nanda Parbat for our next assignment.  When I met you and we started dating, I didn’t fully expect it to outlast the mission but two and a half months in, when our mission was drawing to a close and I had effectively fallen in love with you I went to Nyssa and asked for a favor.”  Kala shifted her weight uncomfortably.

“What favor?” Isabelle asked.

“I asked her to contact Ra’s and imply that we had a lead that we wanted to follow up on before completing the mission. She asked for his permission for us to stay undercover for a while longer.  She was able to talk Ra’s into extending our mission another month.  By the time that month had come and gone and the mission ended, instead of using the extra time I gave myself to enjoy our time together but prepare both of us for the inevitable end, I talked myself into believing we could make it work.  So, after we completed our mission and it was time to go, I asked Nyssa for another favor.  There was chatter amongst the League about a situation in Southern Brazil that the League would possibly be called in on.  We knew it would need quick and immediate attention if the call was made but we didn’t know when or if we would get it.” Kala sighed and sat down on the table that Isabelle had been sitting on earlier.  “Nyssa convinced Ra’s to let me stay in Rio.  She convinced him that it was a good idea for me to be nearby to keep an eye on the situation, therefore if it did need League interference, I could handle it quickly and efficiently.  That’s why Sara and Nyssa returned to Nanda Parbat without me.  But within a month of them leaving, the situation fizzled out and the uprising came to a halt so Ra’s called me back to the League.  The problem was, I didn’t want to go.  I had found something better, something that I knew I had been missing.  So, I made the decision to ghost the League.  I dropped completely off the radar, I stopped checking in with the League and that’s when we moved.  When we got our apartment.”

Isabelle’s eyes widened in understanding and some of the pieces she had been trying to place for months, fell into their spots, “That’s why you didn’t want your name on anything.” Isabelle said. It wasn’t a question.

Kala nodded, “There could be no trace of me but I was foolish to think that they wouldn’t find me.  I couldn’t avoid them forever.  Not without letting you know what was going on.   I thought we were doing a decent job of laying low and hiding from the League until Nyssa and Sara showed up in the middle of the night, one night.  Ra’s had sent them on a mission in Peru and they had endangered themselves to come to Rio and find me.  They had gotten wind that Ra’s had figured out where I was and had put a bounty on your head in the hopes that it would get me to return.  Nyssa and Sara had told me that there was already a team getting ready to move out and complete the assassination.  According to Nyssa, their orders were: I come back willingly and you live the rest of your life in peace or I come back forcefully with your head in a box.” Kala’s voice was breaking a bit now and she turned away from Isabelle to keep the brunette from seeing the tears building in her eyes.

A single tear fell from Isabelle’s eye and she reached up and touched Kala’s cheek gently, turning the woman’s face back towards herself, most of the anger gone from her face now.  “Why didn’t you just tell me this?” she asked.

Kala chuckled humorlessly, “What would we have done Isabelle?  Fought the entire League off by ourselves?  We both would have died trying.  That’s why I left that very night before I could change my mind. I left the short note in the hopes that you would be angry enough, not to follow me.”

Isabelle sat there thinking for a moment, “I would have joined…for you.”

Kala’s head shot up, “Ra’s had tried to recruit you to the League for years and you turned him down every time.  I would imagine the only reason you are still alive after turning him down so many times is because of how invaluable you were to his operation,” she said indicating the room of weapons around them.

Isabelle shrugged, “I would’ve been willing to do it for you though.  That’s what you don’t get, I have loved you from very nearly the moment that I met you and we sometimes do things we normally wouldn’t do for love.”

Kala looked hopeful for a minute but then shook her head, “You know how Ra’s felt about ‘emotional attachments.’  He would’ve never let us be together.  Sara and Nyssa were already hiding their relationship under his nose.  It would’ve been foolish for us to think we could do the same.”

Isabelle put her hands on either of Kala’s cheeks, forcing the girl to look at her, “I was devastated when you left Kala.  In this lifestyle, you don’t find many people that you can trust with everything.  You know that as well as I do.  So, when I say I would’ve done whatever it takes, whatever it took, to make this work, I mean it.  However, you didn’t even give me a choice in the matter.  You walked away from what we had built without even bothering to consult with me on the decision.”

Kala shook her head again, “If I would’ve told you, you would’ve wanted to come or to fight back and I’ve never been able to say no to you. It was easier to walk away and leave you a note and you be angry with me than to see you get hurt.”

“Easier for who?   It wasn’t easy for me,” Isabelle said.  “Was it easy for you?”

Kala shook her head, “Of course not, I’ve thought about you every single day since I walked out of our apartment and left you lying in bed there by yourself.”

“But by doing that, you were the one who ended up hurting me,” Isabelle said.

“I know,” Kala resigned.  “And I just want you to know that I am genuinely sorry.  I’ve never wanted to hurt you in any way for any reason.”

There was a pregnant pause between them.  Isabelle reached her hand over and took Kala’s left hand in her right, giving it a comforting squeeze.  “It’s at least comforting to have an explanation now,” she said.

“What happens now?” she asked Kala.

“I don’t know,” Kala said.  The quiet lingered on for a couple seconds.  Isabelle seemed thoughtful.

“Sara says that the League is gone now, that Nyssa ended it,” she said.  “After you finish helping Sara find Nyssa, what will you do?”

“I don’t know,” Kala said honestly.  “Picking up odd jobs here and there I guess.”

Isabelle played with Kala’s fingers and slightly shrugged her right shoulder, “You could come to Rio.”

Kala’s head shot up and she considered the deep brown eyes that seemed to be staring straight into her soul.  “I didn’t figure you would want me anywhere near me after all of this.  How could you ever trust me again?”

“I’m not saying pick up right where we left off,” Isabelle said.  “I’m just saying that maybe we could talk more. See if there’s something still there.  See if that trust can be gained back.  Despite how angry I’ve been at you all this time, I’ve never stopped loving you.”

Isabelle moved closer and put a hand gently behind Kala’s head, playing with the short hairs at her neck.  “I know you and I know that you’ve probably been beating yourself up about this every day since you left and to be perfectly honest, thirty minutes ago, that probably would’ve made me happy but now to an extent, I understand that you did what you thought you had to do. You did what you did to try to protect me with mostly pure intentions so I would really like it if you stopped being so hard on yourself about it.”

Kala nodded her understanding but knew in her mind that it would be a long time before she was ever able to forgive herself for the pain Isabelle had been feeling.  “I probably don’t deserve your forgiveness but I do appreciate it,” Kala said.

Isabelle smiled softly and Kala’s heart warmed.  It was the first time she had seen that smile in a very long time.  “Just repay me by coming back here safely after you find Nyssa.”

Kala nodded and returned the smile, “You got it.”

“I’m going to hug you now,” Isabelle said with a wet chuckle.

Kala’s nodded and Isabelle pulled her into a tight hug that lingered awhile while they both just enjoyed being in each other’s embrace once again.  Kala barely breathed some words that sounded suspiciously like “I missed you” into the quiet room and Isabelle simply nodded.

She pulled back, kissing Kala gently on the cheek before putting some distance between the two, “Alright, enough with the sappiness.  You’ve got to go save Nyssa.  She still owes me twenty dollars from a pool game.”

Kala laughed and the two headed up the stairs to rejoin Sara.  They found the blonde staring at a painting with her head twisted to the side, much like a dog would.

“It’s abstract,” Isabelle said, startling Sara.

“It is at that,” Sara said with a smile.  She noticed the two standing closer and looking much more relaxed than when she left them in the basement.  “Are you two good now or am I going to have to put on a referee shirt?”

“We’re good,” Kala said.

“Okay good.  What’s the plan?” Sara said to Kala, getting serious again.

“Well we’re in Brazil, we have weapons, and we’re trained assassins.  So, I say we start by kicking ass and taking names,” Kala said with a smirk.

“Let’s do it,” Sara said slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder.

They bid Isabelle farewell and headed out to the rental car Isabelle had parked out front for them.  Kala got behind the wheel and looked over towards Sara who was buckling up.  “Let’s go find our girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, your kind words are what keep me going <3 thank you for the love on this fic that has a special place in my heart!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to our favorite Canary's first mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh my lovely readers, it's another flashback and be forewarned that we are heading directly into some angsty material in this chapter in particular but also upcoming chapters. I'm sorry it took so long to get this one out but I feel like this chapter in particular is really important for the development of all three characters, but particularly Sara and her journey into becoming the Black Canary that we saw in the tv show, so I wanted to make sure it was just right and I hope you can see the hours I put into this one.   
> Now, the not so fun part, I want all readers to notice that I did up the rating on this fic and be warned that there is one fairly descriptive scene of violence in this chapter as well as some hurt/comfort and I totally understand if that is not your jam or if you can not read that kind of stuff! I was going to avoid it but the first draft fell flat and it needed it for character development. 
> 
> Again! If you are triggered by violence, skip over this one!!!

_Sara stood quietly, looking over the edge of the tall building she was standing on, to the ground below.  They were easily a hundred stories up and despite the thick material of her League cowl, the brutally freezing wind at this height caused her to shiver.  She pulled the cowl closer to her face and pulled the small binoculars she was holding, back to her eyes.  She directed them to the window of another tall building about a block away, the same one she had been watching for the last two hours.  She could see men dressed in tuxes and women dressed in long, evening gowns.  They were laughing and dancing and drinking champagne.  Sara searched the crowd, trying to find their target and rolled her eyes when she saw the man still flirting with the same woman he had been flirting with the last time she had checked._

_She turned her binoculars to a much smaller building that was situated closer to their target building.  From her position, she could see the entire top of the building and most of the surrounding ones.  Nyssa was supposed to be on that building watching the door but she still hadn’t arrived at her position.  Sara frowned and dropped the binoculars to her side again, moving to sit down on the ground near the edge of the building._

_“I can hear your nerves from here.” Kala’s voice broke her thoughts and she eyed the brunette who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed._

_“I thought you were meditating,” Sara said as she dropped to her knees and rested her elbows on the ledge._

_“It’s hard to find my center when your thoughts might as well be screaming at me,” Kala joked, finally cracking an eye open to look at the other girl.  Despite the dry words, Kala gave the blonde a small smile.  “Just relax.  He’ll be at this party for a while longer.”  She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath._

_Sara had been waiting for a full year and a half to finally get her first mission with the league.  She had spent every day training with Nyssa and Kala, preparing for this moment.  Ra’s, seeing the girl’s progress, had decided it was time for her to become a full-fledged member of the League but that required a successful first mission.  Nyssa and Kala had agreed to take her and assist in case something went wrong.  The mission was a simple assassination but despite her training, Sara worried that physically taking another human life wouldn’t be as easy as Ra’s had led her to believe._

_“Wonder why Nyssa isn’t at her position yet,” Sara mumbled, looking again towards the small building where the woman she was falling for was supposed to be posted._

_“I’m sure she’s just checking the perimeter and looking for additional exits,” Kala said flatly._

_Sara let the quiet settle back over them for a few minutes as she watched their target help himself to his fifth glass of champagne for the evening._

_“Who is this guy?” she said aloud._

_“A target,” Kala said._

_“Yeah, I know that but who is he ya know? Wonder what he did to have someone want him dead?” Sara said._

_Kala sighed in resignation that her meditation time was over and opened her eyes, looking fully at Sara.  She stretched her legs out and raised to her knees next to Sara.  The blonde had changed a lot since the evening Nyssa brought her to Nanda Parbat.  She had put on quite a bit of muscle mass, she carried herself with more confidence, and she even looked older.  One thing that hadn’t changed since that day was her personality.  She was quick witted and smart and sassy, but she cared for people.  Kala had never seen anyone break through Nyssa’s walls like Sara had in such a short time.  It had annoyed Kala to no end at first.  Sara would laugh at inopportune times or she would jump to the aid of the new initiate she had just bested in a spar.  Kala had told Nyssa that Sara was too soft and she would never make it within the League, but over time the blonde had begun to prove herself.  She began to grow on Kala and now it almost pained her to face the fact that after this mission, the girl that she had come to quite like would start to become no more.  The darkness of their profession would start to eat away at the light shining inside of her._

_“It’s best to just think of them as a target Ta-er al-sahfer,” Kala said softly.  “There are many lessons you will learn in your coming time with the League.  The most important is this:  Despite all of your training, taking another life, takes something out of you.  If you do not learn to compartmentalize it, it will eat you alive and you will eventually be nothing but a shell of who you once were.  They are not people.  They are simply a target that must be eliminated.”_

_Sara nodded grimly and Kala could see the trepidation in her eyes.  She reached over and patted the other girl on the shoulder, smiling to try to ease the girl’s tension.  “You’ll do fine tonight.  Don’t worry so much.”_

_Sara smiled and seemed to relax a bit knowing that Kala had confidence in her._

_“Look,” Kala said pointing towards the small building that Sara had been watching earlier.  Sara had to squint but she finally saw movement and then Nyssa stepped out of the shadows towards the edge of the building._

_Sara’s ear piece crackled to life.  “I’m in position,” Nyssa’s voice filled the blonde’s head and she visibly relaxed.  “This exit on the north end is definitely where he will come out.  All the other exits are locked down for the evening.”_

_“Copy that,” Kala responded back coolly.  “You have eyes on the target?”_

_“Affirmative.  I think we should expect him to be leaving very soon.  He looks to be saying goodbye to people,” Nyssa confirmed._

_Sara looked through the binoculars and just as Nyssa had said, she could see the man shaking hands and moving slowly towards the exit.  She could feel her heart rate start to increase and her breathing became harder.  It was almost time._

_“He’s leaving sooner than we expected,” Kala observed.  “Any concerns with moving the time table up?”_

_“I’ve walked the perimeter and I didn’t see any threats.  If he leaves alone, we move forward,” Nyssa ordered._

_They all watched as the man said his final goodbyes and entered the elevator on the far end of the room._

_“Ta-er al-sahfer, are you ready?” Nyssa’s voice echoed in her ear again._

_“I’m ready,” Sara responded back, trying to sound stronger than she felt._

_“You two get in position.  When he exits the building, I’ll give you the word,” Nyssa said._

_Kala went to move towards their position but looked back when she realized Sara wasn’t behind her. The blonde was still standing in place, frozen. She moved back quickly and put a hand on Sara’s arm to get her attention, but when Sara met her eyes, she could see true fear for the first time since the blonde had first arrived in Nanda Parbat. She put her other hand on Sara’s opposite shoulder and forced the girl to face her straight on._

_“You can do this. This is what you’ve been training for. This is the job,” she repeated. Kala internally scoffed at herself. Who had she turned into? Giving a recruit, a pep talk instead of leaving them standing there or letting them fail? She believed the best lessons are learned from failure and to that end, she was hard on new recruits.  She didn’t baby them or hold their hands, but there was something about Sara. She made Nyssa so happy, the happiest Kala could remember seeing her since they were kids and Kala wanted to see her friend remain happy. It had nothing to do with the soft spot she, herself, had developed for the sassy blonde._

_However, despite not being well-versed in the art, her pep talk seemed to work because Sara nodded firmly and leapt into action. The two women crossed the roof and ducked down onto the fire escape to the floor below. They easily made their way down the fire escape until they reached a point where they could hop over to the next building’s roof and then continued down. Finally, they landed on the edge of a short building that sat just one building away from where the party was taking place. Kala left Sara to stand on the third story fire escape alone and made her way to the next building over to stand watch._

_The area was silent minus an ambulance siren somewhere off in the distance and Sara’s own heart thumping loudly. She ducked down into the shadows of the fire escape and pulled her League robes tighter around her newly muscled body. She adjusted her cowl to completely cover her face minus her eyes and checked to make sure her sword was securely in place on her back and her knife was easily accessible on her hip. She reached into the small, leather satchel that hung around her body and pulled out a rolled up piece of black cloth. Carefully, she unrolled it and tied one end tightly around the outside bar of the fire escape before wrapping the rest around herself in the way Nyssa had taught her._

_“Target just exited the building,” came Nyssa’s voice in her ear again. “100 yards and closing.”_

_Sara’s heart was beating so loud now that she could barely even hear Nyssa’s voice in her headset over it._

_“I’ve got eyes on the target. 50 yards from you now Ta-er al-sahfer,” it was Kala’s voice this time speaking to her._

_Sara positioned her body on the edge of the fire escape as she listened for Nyssa and Kala’s commands._

_“20 yards,” Kala said. “You’re in the clear when he reaches the mark.”_

_Sara hesitated for just a moment but then the slightest movement on the building across from her caught her attention. She looked up and locked eyes with Nyssa who must have moved at an inhuman pace to make it there so fast. There were no words but Sara and Nyssa locked eyes. Brown met blue and Sara’s heart slowed down and she felt completely at peace for a moment.  For that split second, she wasn’t in the middle of Germany, in a dark alleyway, about to kill a man. She was standing in Nanda Parbat, in the sparring room and it was just her and Nyssa.  Nyssa made an imperceptible nod and Sara was gone._

_In complete silence, she dropped off the fire escape and let the thick, black ribbon roll her body towards the ground. Her feet made contact with the damp ground a mere few feet behind her target who was stumbling down the alleyway, clearly intoxicated from his champagne consumption. She removed the knife from her hip and approached the man until he was in arm’s reach._

_Sara breathed deep, steadied herself and then lunged forward, using her left hand to grab the man’s forehead and pull his head back exposing his pale neck.  He didn’t even have time to react before Sara had wrapped her other arm around him and placed the cold metal of her knife against his throat, pulling it without hesitation and opening the man’s jugular. His body’s reaction was instant. He gurgled and reached towards his throat but the blood loss was too traumatic and quick and he was almost instantly on the ground at Sara’s feet. The copper smell of blood filled the air and as she came out of her haze, Sara almost gagged at the scene before her. The man, dressed in his finest suit, had already stopped breathing and was continuing to bleed out at her feet. She looked down at her own hands which were covered in his blood from the arterial spray and she instinctually wiped them onto her black pants. It did little to wipe away the blood, however, and Sara had a brief realization that she would never be able to get the blood off her hands from this point forward._

_She must have stood there too long because she finally heard a rushed, “Ta-Er al-sahfer!” in her ear and it shook her out of her trance. She quickly checked her surroundings and then made her exit, leaving the body of the man on the cold ground of the dark alleyway._

_The trip back to the safe house had been silent.  Each woman had made it back to their vehicle individually.  It was several blocks, jumping rooftop to rooftop and Sara had arrived last.  Nyssa and Kala were already waiting outside the car and both seemed to sense that the blonde wasn’t ready to talk.  They climbed in the front seat and Sara plopped down in the back seat quietly, avoiding eye contact with the brown orbs she adored so much.  She held her hands in her lap and looked to them where the blood had all but dried.  She had expected to feel some kind of emotion but the adrenaline was still pumping and her breathing hadn’t slowed down from her run back to the car._

_Once they made it back to the safe house, Kala bid them goodnight and went directly to the room she had been staying in, leaving Nyssa and Sara the rest of the house to themselves.  It wasn’t until they heard the click of the bedroom door that Nyssa finally spoke._

_“Are you okay?” she asked tentatively._

_“Uh…yeah, I’m fine.  I just really need a shower,” Sara said calmly, showing her hands to Nyssa._

_Nyssa nodded, “I should report to the League that the mission was a success.”_

_Nyssa just watched as Sara made her way to the bedroom they had been sharing, stripping off her robes as she went._

_Sara made her way into the bathroom still in a trance.  She reached into the shower and turned the water on as hot as it would go, stepping in almost immediately.  She watched as the dried blood rinsed off her hands and stained the water collecting in the bottom of the tub.  The slight burn sensation of the water seemed to bring her back into her reality and she closed her eyes, trying to force back tears. It had the opposite effect though when she closed her eyes, only to replay the night over in her head.  The tears flowed freely and she shuddered through a cry, trying to hold herself together with little success.  Her body grew weak and she felt lightheaded, reaching out to brace herself on the shower wall.  The scenes flashed through her mind.  There was so much blood.  She could see the hollowness of the man’s eyes when she had looked down at him, all life gone.  She was sobbing quietly now, feeling herself free falling out of control.  Suddenly, she felt a presence much too close to her and she spun around without thinking.  She swung her right hand hard towards the back of the shower but was surprised when it was caught with little effort by a much faster hand._

_Her eyes met Nyssa’s and the dam broke.  She sobbed loudly and a whispered, “Nyssa, I…” escaped her lips._

_Nyssa pulled Sara in tight and held her body close, letting her feel something other than pain at the moment.  She knew that Sara needed to feel something living, something whole and so she let her body melt completely into the blonde._

_“It’s okay my beloved,” Nyssa said softly as Sara’s body continued to shake in her arms.  The girl was crying into her collarbone and she wasn’t sure if the streams of water running down her chest were from Sara or the shower that was beating down on them._

_After a while, Sara’s sobs became quieter and her breathing less ragged but she never let go of Nyssa.  The water was beginning to run cold so Nyssa separated herself from the blonde long enough to wash her body and hair for her and turned the water off, drawing the room back into quiet._

_Sara let the taller girl help her out of the shower and dried her off quickly before leading her to the queen size bed where they had been cuddling and laughing just that afternoon.  The tone was different now as Nyssa helped Sara into bed and then climbed in behind, wrapping her taller body around the blonde.  Sara’s back was pressed all the way against her chest as she let one arm rest under Sara’s head and the other wrap tightly around her stomach.  She pushed blonde hair out of her way to place a gentle kiss on Sara’s neck that was meant to be more loving and supportive than anything else and Sara melted into the affection._

_Sara became still and quiet and Nyssa thought she had fallen asleep when she heard her sleepy voice.  “Nyssa?” she said quietly._

_“Hmm?”_

_“Does it ever get easier?”_

_Nyssa sighed.  “Eventually, yes.”_

_“I’m not sure if that is comforting or not,” Sara said._

_Nyssa understood the girl’s words and did not question them.  She herself had often wondered about what type of people they were for killing without feeling, but at the end of the day, this had been her life for as long as she could remember and the people they took out were almost always more evil than even Ra’s could be at times.  She planted another kiss to Sara’s neck and pulled her tighter to let her know she would always be there for her and in that position they drifted off into sleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Well, what did we think? I'm nervous to hear your responses about this chapter because I've worked harder on this one chapter than just about any other chapter in any fic that I've done. it's hard to write that level of angst while still maintaining the balance of who the characters are at their core. I'd love to hear what you guys thought about this one! Next up we're heading back to modern day and seeing what Sara and Kala are up to and where they are on finding our favorite Heir :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara and Kala continue the hunt for Nyssa and link up with some old friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I didn't get much feedback on the last chapter so I'm just going to assume no news is good news! lol. Anyways, we're still building towards finding out who has Nyssa here and we get to see some old and new friends. I hope you enjoy!

“What if it doesn’t work out and I end up hurt again?” Kala said with a huff.

“I’m just saying…” Sara ducked a punch from her attacker and then dropped into a sweeping leg kick that took his legs out from under him.  “…that you’ve been pining over her forever and this is finally your chance to fix things.”  She whipped her bo staff around her front and landed a hard hit to the ribs of the next guy coming at her, following it with a hit to the temple that dropped him to the ground next to the previous guy.

Kala removed her bow from her back and positioned it in front of her, pulling the string and launching an arrow into the leg of a man standing on top of the rafters with a gun.  The man screamed and fell to the ground with a sickening thud. She had her back to Sara’s and leaned into the girl to land a hard kick to the face of a man in a ski mask.  “I just figured out how to live without her.”

Sara grunted as she caught the left hand of a man who had just swung a punch at her and twisted it, causing it to crack and the man to scream loudly as Sara flipped him to the ground.  “Listen, take it from someone who used the wrong judgement one time in going after their girl, sometimes if you wait, it will be too late.”

Sara grunted out the last of her words as two rather large men came at her and Kala spun around to help her fight them off.  They looked like they were performing a well-rehearsed dance routine.  Sara would go high and Kala would go low and then they would switch.  Sara would shift positions and Kala would spin around her back as they traded fighting partners.  It didn’t take long before both men laid on the ground, unconscious. 

There were moans and groans coming from the pile of bodies that lay around their feet, easily twenty men.  Kala chuckled at the heap of men on the ground.  “Some security,” she scoffed.

Sara nodded her agreement and stepped over the man whose arm she had snapped moments ago.  “Just don’t let an opportunity for love slip away,” she said, looking up at Kala meaningfully.

She leaned down and grabbed the groaning man and pushed him up against the wall, roughly on his useless arm.  “Where’s your boss?” she growled harshly, completely changing her previous demeanor.  When the man didn’t respond immediately, she pushed harder causing him to scream out.

“It’s only going to get worse for you if you don’t talk,” Kala said while leaning her body up against the wall near the man’s face.  She looked completely relaxed as Sara gave the man another rough push.

“He’s...shit my arm…he’s operating out of an old factory outside of Star City,” the man cried in the hopes of Sara releasing him, but Sara wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

“More specific or I break more than your arm,” Sara threatened sharply. 

“Uhhh…I don’t know the name of it but it’s an old shoe factory,” he said quickly.

Kala gave the man a look like she didn’t believe him but he rushed out, “I swear…that’s all I know.  I’m the low man on the totem pole.”

Sara and Kala made eye contact and decided that the man was telling the truth.  “Now was that so hard?” Sara said smiling sweetly causing the man to lower his guard just a bit.  Sara saw the opportunity and brought her elbow to the man’s face quickly, knocking him unconscious, his body slumping to the floor.

“Hmm…” Kala hummed aloud looking towards the man.  She grabbed a large bag of white powder off a table near her and looked it over.  “I would almost feel bad about this if these guys weren’t part of the biggest drug ring on the East Coast,” she said tossing the bag back on the table. 

“I’ll make a call to The Flash and his team when we get out of here.  They can come pick these guys up or get Central City Police out here,” Sara said as she broke down her bo staff and tucked it into the back of her belt. 

It had been a week since they geared up in Brazil with Isabelle and started working their way through Nyssa’s known associates, leaving a trail of broken criminals in their wake.  They had blown through the Vasquez cartel in South America and when that turned up a dead end, they had redirected their attention to the states.  They were currently tracking down Robert Bolton.  The man was the top dog for crime in the East Coast and had done a lot of dealings with Ra’s al Ghul in the past, Nyssa being the main contact between the two.  Things had gone south several years ago when the man tried to make a move on Nyssa and she shut him down in a violent way, leaving the man with a broken nose and hand.  Sara and Kala knew it was a stretch for someone to go this far over a couple broken bones but men like Bolton held onto their pride tight and their grudges tighter and they refused to leave any stone unturned.

They stepped out into the chilly night air of Central City and Sara breathed deeply, using a meditation technique that she had learned with the League, to slow down her racing adrenaline.  She made the call to Barry to let him know about the criminals that they had just locked inside of the warehouse and was, surprisingly, met with few questions from the man. 

Kala appeared beside her, dressed in her League robes and adjusting the bow onto her back. “Now we have to track down some random shoe factory outside of Star City,” she said with a huff.  “I guess we better get somewhere where I can do some research and find out where exactly it is.  It could take a while, unfortunately, most of my expertise is in the paper side of tracking people.  I hate technology.”

Sara looked at her phone, to a number she hadn’t called in too long.  “I have a friend that can help us out,” she said with a smile.  “Come on.  We’re heading to Star City.”

 

It would have been a long, cold ride from Central City to Star City but luckily Sara had a close friend who could vibe them and their bikes right over.  She owed Cisco big for the favor, but it was worth it because they were pulling up in front of the familiar building on their motorcycles an hour after they had left the warehouse in Central City.  Sara parked in a space and kicked the kickstand of her bike down before swinging a leg over and removing her helmet, letting her blonde locks fall freely across her shoulders. 

“It doesn’t look like much of a secret hideout,” Kala commented as she mimicked Sara’s actions and looked over the closed down building in front of her.  It looked to have once been a headquarters for an election and there were old signs reading “Queen for Mayor” plastered to the windows and walls.

Sara smirked and tucked her helmet under her arm, leading Kala through the side entrance and into the shiny, metal elevator hid behind a false wall.  They stood quietly in the elevator as it dropped to the floor below and the doors separated slowly, revealing “The Bunker.”

“If it isn’t my favorite canary,” a female voice rang through the room as a perky blonde spun around in a rolling chair to face them.

“That’s just hurtful Felicity,” a brunette spoke from the left side of the room.  She appeared to be disassembling and cleaning a pistol quietly.

“Oh…uhm…my favorite White Canary?” Felicity tried awkwardly.

Dinah raised an eyebrow at the double meaning and Felicity stumbled, “Not like that…you know what I mean! Dammit!  Sara?”

Dinah smirked playfully at the blonde’s floundering and continued with the cleaning of her gun.

“You’re still cute,” Sara grinned at Felicity and welcomed the other girl into a soft hug.  “How are you?”

“I’m good, yeah, you know how things are here.  Always something.  New team members,” she said pointing towards Dinah.

“Yeah, who is that?” Sara asked.

“I’m Dinah,” she woman interrupted before Felicity could speak.  She stood up and crossed the room, stepping onto the raised center of the room and shaking Sara’s hand firmly.

“You the new Canary?” Sara asked.

“That’s what they tell me.  I’m not quite sure I’m hero material though.”

“Hmm…I can relate to that,” Sara agreed thoughtfully. “But as long as you’re trying to do the right things for the right reasons, that’s all that matters.  Not the title of hero.”

Dinah nodded, understanding the girl’s words. 

“Is that an Oliver Queen quote?” Felicity joked.

“Nah, Laurel Lance,” Sara smiled at the blonde, but it didn’t completely reach her eyes and Felicity could relate to the feeling.  Laurel was one of her best friends and it still ached every day that she was gone, she couldn’t imagine how Sara felt losing her sister.  Sara cleared her throat, “Anyways, this is Kala, a friend of mine from the League.”

Kala shot her eyes harshly at Sara as if to reprimand her for revealing too much information, but Sara waved her off.  “We’re among friends here and the League doesn’t even exist anymore.  Relax,” she said.

Felicity, Dinah, and Kala exchanged pleasantries before Felicity whipped around in her chair and looked at an alarm going off on her computer.

“Everything okay?” Dinah asked, trying to read the screens as they quickly changed.

“Oh, yeah, just finished running a scan on a facial recognition that could lead us to Vigilante.  Looks like another dead end though,” she sighed.  She spun back around in her chair to face them and Kala wondered how the girl didn’t constantly make herself dizzy.  “So, what did you ladies need from the all-knowing Overwatch?” she asked with a sly smile.

“The codename is going to her head,” Sara joked to Dinah who nodded her agreement, earning them both a frown from Felicity.  “I’m just kidding Fliss.  I need you to help me track down an old factory on the edge of the city.  I don’t have a name, but it apparently used to be a shoe factory several years ago.”

“Should be easy enough to find,” Felicity said as she began typing rapidly at her computer. “Looks like there used to be a Carmichael’s Shoe Factory over by the docks.  According to this, it closed a few years ago, right after the “earthquake” caused by our old friend Malcolm Merlyn.”

Sara and Kala both tensed at the name but remained mostly stoic.  “Can you send me the address?” Sara asked.

“Of course,” Felicity said while hitting a few buttons and Sara’s phone immediately chimed, signaling an incoming message.

“We should get some rest before we move on this location Ta-er al-sahfer,” Kala said as Sara checked the message.

“We should move tonight, while the trail is still warm.”

Kala shook her head and could see the frustration in Sara’s eyes, so she touched the girl’s arm gently, “We won’t do Nyssa any good if we get ourselves killed.  We need to rest and recover, maybe eat a meal and do some surveillance.  If this is the operating headquarters of the guy we’re looking for, it’s going to be heavily guarded.  He’ll have his most trusted security, the closest to him.” Sara didn’t look happy, but she nodded her head in agreement nonetheless.

“Surveillance! I can help with that,” Felicity chimed in happily.

“We shouldn’t get you any more involved Felicity.  We don’t know who exactly we’re dealing with yet,” Sara said with a sigh.

“Let me help find Nyssa, Sara.  She helped us when we needed it.”

Sara sighed in resignation and handed Felicity a folded piece of paper from her pocket with her scribbly writing all over it.  “This is all we know about Robert Bolton so far.  We don’t know if he’s even involved with all this but from our research, there were only three possible people that could orchestrate this and he’s our next stop.”

“We already shut down Vasquez in South America and he didn’t have anything to do with it, which is why his name is marked out,” Kala added, pointing to the name on the paper.

“So, what’s Bolton’s issue?” Dinah asked, wanting to help too.

Sara directed her eyes to the brunette, “A while back, he and Nyssa had a…uh…let’s call it a disagreement on how Bolton conducted his business regarding his female counterparts.  The disagreement left Bolton with a couple broken bones and even worse, damaged pride.  Plus, it ended his long-standing arrangement with the League.  It’s a weak motive at best but Star City was the last sighting of Nyssa and he’s the only one here with the motive and the means to pull something like this off.”

“What about this last name?” Felicity asked, pointing to the name on the paper. 

“That one is a long-shot, but if it is him, things could get much more complicated,” Sara said.  “Wilson Fisk is also known as King Pin and he basically controls the entire mob on the east coast.  There have been vigilantes in Gotham trying to take him down for years with little to no luck.  He’s impossible to touch and if he’s the one that has Nyssa, well, we may need more help than we brought,” Sara said with a frown.

Dinah nodded her agreement, “I worked a case in Central City one time and we thought he had some involvement but any time we got the slightest lead, everything went to hell.  Evidence got ‘lost,’ witnesses ended up dead, it was awful.  It’s still unsolved as far as I know.”

“What’s his problem with Nyssa?” Felicity asked.

“His ax to grind isn’t with Nyssa actually, it’s with Ra’s,” Kala said.

“He betrayed King Pin years ago and Ra’s was the only person he couldn’t ever touch, no matter how hard he tried,” Sara added.

“But with Ra’s gone, Nyssa is vulnerable and his best shot at revenge,” Felicity finished.

Kala and Sara both nodded solemnly.

“Then let’s get these bastards and see what they know,” she said with a smile before turning her attention back to the computer, looking over information on Bolton.  “Hmm…yeah, so it looks like he’s actually in New York on business right now according to his flight records but he’s due back in two days’ time for an art gallery opening.  Why do villains always love art?”

“New York, that’s what?  About a six-hour flight?” Sara questioned out loud.  She looked to Kala who was staring back at her with a disapproving look on her face.  She sighed, “Fine, we’ll wait until he comes back to Star City and get him in his own backyard.”

“Thank you, I desperately need a shower,” Kala said. 

“Felicity, do you think we could borrow the cots and the back room for a couple days?” Sara asked sweetly.

“Of course!  But you guys could stay with me,” Felicity said.

 “We couldn’t put you out like that.  I’d like to be able to workout and do research in my free time anyways,” Sara said.  “But thank you.”

Felicity shrugged, “Suit yourself but staying here you’ll probably see me just as much as if you were staying with me anyways.”

Dinah laughed and shook her head, “Me too.  Seems like I spend all my time here these days.  Felicity is my only friend really.”

“And what a great friend to have right?” Felicity joked with an eye roll.

“Of course.  Is there anything I can do to help?” Dinah asked.

“Uh, I could use a sparring partner tomorrow if you’re up for it,” Sara said with a shrug.  “Kala’s too easy to beat these days.”

Kala rolled her eyes at the jab, “Yeah, right.”

“I’ll pretend I believe that and you don’t just want to size up the next Black Canary,” Dinah said, understanding that the woman wanted to test her. 

Sara winked, “Okay, well I’m going to go get our bags off the bikes and bring them in.”  She worked her right shoulder as if it was sore, “I guess I can agree that a hot shower would do me some good.”

Kala nodded and watched as the blonde made her way back to the elevator and stepped on without another word.  The doors closed tightly, and Kala sighed, turning towards Felicity who was tapping away at her computer.  “Hey, uh, I need you to check up on one more person for me, but I don’t want Sara to know about it yet.”  She reached over and scribbled a name down on the notepad in front of Felicity.

The bubbly woman read the name and frowned, turning to look fully at Kala.  “But I thought…”

“I’m not sure.  I’ve heard rumors for the last year but nothing definite.  I don’t want to scare Sara even more than she already is though because if they’re involved, it changes everything.” 

Felicity nodded her agreement, “I’ll see what I can find but I can’t promise much.”

The two shared a look that seemed to convey the worry they shared over this development and suddenly King Pin didn’t seem like the most dangerous option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well??? What did you think?? We have a few suspects now and one very mysterious new player. Wonder who it could be that would get that kind of reaction out of both Kala and Felicity??? 
> 
> I just love Felicity and Dinah both so we'll definitely see more of them. I think next chapter will have some white canary vs black canary sparring and of course, more Felicity sassiness. Tell me what you think and what you would like to see! I love hearing your thoughts and theories!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know that I can write a fic with Sara in it that doesn't have a Sara workout scene lol. I need more Sara workout scenes in the show -_0_-
> 
> Enjoy this one ya'll!!

The distinctive and familiar sound of metal on metal filled the bunker as Felicity stopped typing to watch Sara descend the salmon ladder for the third time in the last thirty minutes.  Kala and Dinah stood off to the side, stretching, as the blonde impressively conquered the ladder with ease, showing no sign of slowing down.  She reached the bottom, took a few measured breaths, and then started back up the ladder.  Felicity watched as tight abs flexed each time Sara swung her body and moved up a rung of the ladder.  Her black sports bra and yoga pants doing little to hide the defined muscles and faded scars that she had earned over the last portion of a decade.

“You’re almost as good at that as Oliver,” Felicity joked as Sara descended the ladder again. 

She was about halfway down and released the bar, dropping to the ground gracefully and grabbing a towel that she had laid off to the side.  She wiped the sweat off her face, neck, and abs and smiled cheekily at the hacker.  “Almost?  Oliver wishes he had my endurance.” 

The wink that was flown Felicity’s way made her blush and drop her head.  There had always been something about Sara that caught her attention.  Sara, ever the flirt, always had a way of drawing a blush out of the hacker.  Maybe if she wasn’t madly in love with Oliver and Sara wasn’t head over heels for Nyssa, she would return the flirtation, but things were the way they were supposed to be in her eyes.  Maybe on another earth, she had thought fondly in the past.

“Okay, you ready?” Sara asked Dinah who had just finished stretching.

“Sure,” she replied, standing and following Sara over to the weapons case, accepting the two sticks of bamboo that Sara handed her before grabbing her own like pair.

They moved to the middle of the sparring mat and Kala sat to the side, on the floor, cross legged, much like she had many times when Sara had been training.  She was prepared to give tips and help wherever it was needed. 

The two canaries started slow, alternating strikes with the bamboo sticks and finding a rhythm.  Sara struck, Dinah blocked, Dinah struck, Sara blocked, again, and again.  The sticks smacking against each other picked up in tempo quickly, but the sound made a steady knocking that Kala found calming and she closed her eyes in meditation.  For a moment, she was back in Nanda Parbat, training a recruit.  She listened as the rhythm started to get less steady and she knew that one of the women had switched up the pattern.  She guessed it was Sara, as the woman preferred to be on the offensive.  She opened her eyes and watched as Dinah blocked several strikes in a row from the blonde, who was on the offensive, as Kala had guessed. 

They did this dance for quite a while before switching to bamboo bo sticks and Sara was excited to spar with someone who favored the weapon as much as she did.  Both women looked much more comfortable with their favorite weapon in their hands, Kala noted.  Sara spun hers around a few times, getting a feel for it and then took a fighting stance, Dinah mimicking her actions across from her. 

Kala felt a presence next to her as Sara made the first move, swing her bo stick at Dinah, who blocked it easily.  “Taking a break?”

“Yeah, just needed to stretch and this is my favorite,” Felicity said, indicating the two women in front of her on the mat.

Kala nodded, “You ever get in there?”

Felicity laughed hard, “Ha! Yeah, no.  I’m much more dangerous behind a keyboard.”

“There’s nothing wrong with knowing how to defend yourself,” Kala shrugged.  She watched as Dinah left an opening and Sara immediately saw it too.  The blonde spun quickly and knocked Dinah’s legs out from under her, sending her to the mat with a loud thump.  Kala stood up and held a finger up to Felicity, letting her know that she was not finished with their conversation yet.  She offered Dinah a hand up and the brunette took it, begrudgingly.

“May I offer you a piece of advice?” Kala asked.

Dinah nodded her head slowly, stretching out her sore shoulder that she had just landed on. 

“Ta er-al sahfer has always been impatient and passionate since the first time we sparred.  She apparently is still not past that,” Kala said, looking towards Sara knowingly, who simply rolled her eyes.  She dropped her voice and pulled Dinah to the side, talking quietly where only the two of them could hear and demonstrating something that Sara could only partially make out.  “Got it?” she asked Dinah who nodded her head.  She stepped back over to Felicity and watched as both women nodded, and the fight started again, with Sara immediately making the first strike.

Dinah blocked each one efficiently, never making a move to counter but not showing any fatigue from all the blocking.  She blocked Sara’s strike that was aimed for her legs and then one that was intended for her right side.  Sara went high next and Dinah was ready when the blonde immediately swung to her left, she reached out and caught the end of Sara’s bo stick with her left hand, swinging her own bo quickly to Sara’s left.  The blonde saw it coming and mirrored Dinah’s move, catching the brunette’s bo with her left hand, but not expecting Dinah to immediately release both weapons, drop down and swing her leg around, catching both of Sara’s legs and dropping the blonde to the ground with a thud. 

“Ah ha!” Dinah shouted as she popped back up to her feet excitedly.  “It worked!”

Felicity looked on in disbelief and Kala laughed as she walked onto the mat and offered to help her friend up from the ground.  “Will you ever learn to block that move?” Kala asked playfully as the lifted the groaning assassin off the floor. 

“You’re an ass,” she said playfully to Kala but then reached over to shake hands with Dinah.  “But you’re a quick learner.  Not bad,” she said to the long-haired brunette.

“Thanks, I’m glad we got a chance to do this.  I’ve heard a lot about you,” Dinah said while re-racking the two bo staffs. 

“You’ll make a great addition to the canary family,” Sara said gently.  The look the two shared was meaningful but no more words were shared between them.  Sara directed her attention to Felicity who had made her way back to her computer by this point.  “Any new intel Felicity?”

Felicity clicked away on her computer and a large picture of a burly man appeared on the screen, “Well, this is Bolton’s head of security aka main thug.   If we find him, Bolton will be nearby, guaranteed.  According to flight records, Bolton’s plane left out of JFK early this morning, so we should be expecting him in the next couple hours.”

Dinah stepped up next to them, cleaning the sweat from her brow with a towel.  “Want me to head over to the airport and stake it out?  He won’t recognize me.”

Sara seemed hesitant but couldn’t deny Dinah’s logic.  Bolton would recognize her for sure, but he wouldn’t know Dinah or Kala.  “Yeah, Kala will you go with her?”

“Sure, let me grab some stuff and we’ll head out,” Kala said with a nod.

Sara watched as Dinah and Kala collected some weapons just in case something went down and shared a meaningful look with Kala as they entered the elevator to leave.  She trusted Kala as much as even Nyssa, but she didn’t like not being able to be a part of every step.

The women hadn’t been gone long and Sara was impatient.  The heels of her boots clicked loudly as she paced back and forth across the concrete floor of the bunker, waiting on information from the two brunettes but nothing had come in yet.  Felicity had been clicking away at her computer the entire time, only stopping to reprimand Sara multiple times for her impatience. 

“Sara,” she said suddenly, making the other blonde jump.

“I’m sorry Felicity,” Sara said for the third time.  “I’m just anxious, the longer this takes, the more danger Nyssa could be in.” 

Felicity waved Sara off, “No, not that.  Come here.  Look at this.”

Sara walked up onto the platform and behind Felicity to see what she was looking at.  On the screen was a photo that was hard to make out.  It was in black and white and grainy, but Sara recognized Bolton in the photograph.  He was shaking hands with a very large man with a slick, bald head.  The other man was wearing a sleek, white suit and clearly had security with him.

“What am I looking at?” Felicity said.  “It looks like a business meeting.”

“I agree.  This is a still from a security camera in Bolton’s hotel in New York.  This video was taken this week while Bolton was there on business.”

“And why do we care?”  Sara said, squinting at the photograph again.

“We care because, that man that he seems to be conducting business with…”  Felicity pauses and turns in her chair to face Sara full-on.  “That’s Kingpin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh we're starting to put the pieces together now. Why is Bolton meeting with Kingpin??? And we still don't know who the mystery person is that Kala and Felicity are so worried about. So many mysteries! The next one will be a flashback and prepare for the fluff because I think we deserve a fluffy break in this fic :) enjoy and let me know what you think! Please! It keeps me going!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit that I didn't do the best job self-checking this for errors before I posted. I only have limited time for posting currently so I will be back through later to correct errors. I'm sorry if you read this today and it has some! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's set up a little differently from the others because it mixes current events with a memory. Wondering how you guys feel about the way I tied this one together. Enjoy!

Kala and Dinah returned that evening with very little intel, much to Sara’s disappointment.  Bolton had landed and gotten straight into a black SUV and disappeared into the night.  They had eventually caught up with him and been able to follow him all the way across town to a large mansion in a nice neighborhood, so they at least knew where he lived now.

 

When the women returned back to the bunker that evening, Felicity had explained her findings to them and there was a thickness in the air that reeked of anxiety.  Sara put on a brave face as Felicity and Dinah attempted to reassure her that things would be okay but she saw her own masked worry, mirrored in Kala’s stoic face.  

 

By the time Sara finished showering and getting ready for bed, Kala was finishing up her evening prayers.  Sara quietly entered the room and sat on her bed, watching Kala.  She had witnessed her performing this ritual many times and had always been intrigued by it.  Sara, herself, had never been particularly religious, but she had always had an interest in those that were, especially once she joined the League.

 

Ra’s has been very insistent about all League members relinquishing any connection to their past lives but many still held on to things.  Sara held onto her attachment to her family, Nyssa held onto her curiousness about her mother, and Kala had her faith.  

 

Kala carefully rolled up her prayer mat and placed it next to her bed.  She pulled back the covers and slipped into the cot across from Sara’s.  She looked over to the blonde who was fiddling with a silver chain around her neck, seemingly lost in thought.

 

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, startling Sara.

 

Sara looked at her friend and cocked her head a little.  “You still do your prayers,” she observed.

 

“Not as often as I should,” Kala admitted.  “I got better about doing them regularly back in Qatar but we’ve been busy and I’ve only be getting one or two a day.”

 

Sara nodded and laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.  “Do you think after all we’ve done, there’s still a better life after this one for us?”

 

Kala placed her hands behind her head and looked up to the ceiling as well.  The room was quiet as she thought quietly.  “Hmm...I don’t know.  Maybe?  Maybe not?  But it’s nice to think that there’s more to life than this, no?”

 

“I’m not sure.  If I allow myself to believe that there’s a heaven then I have to believe that there’s a hell and I’m more inclined to believe that’s where a bunch of assassins are headed,” Sara said.

 

“’Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you? Allah is Forgiving and Merciful,’” Kala recited in Arabic.  She knew the Qur’an backwards and forward and that was one of the passages she had always held tight to.  Her mother had fled from Kala’s home country of Bahrain when Kala was only ten years old, leaving behind her abusive father in the hopes for a better life.  Her mother quickly realized, however, that she couldn’t provide a life for both of them and Kala’s father was closing in on finding them.  She needed to save Kala’s life so she had come in contact with Ra’s al Ghul.  She knew little of The League but had heard that they would be accepting of young Arabic children without any questions and that they were nearly invisible so Kala’s father would never be able to find her. 

 

She had left her mother in Qatar and arrived in Nanda Parbat on the eve of her eleventh birthday with two young members of the League.  She had pledged her allegiance to Ra’s and The League many years before she was fully aware of what that pledge would mean.  She would spend her days training and studying while her nights were spent hidden under a blanket, reading a worn out copy of the Qur’an that her mother had snuck into her pocket when she left her.  Even at such a young age, she knew that she would be punished if she was caught with a connection to her life before The League.  Nyssa was the only one who had known about Kala’s Qur’an and that the young girl would occasionally sneak off to do prayers and she had always protected her secret.

 

When she had turned sixteen, Ra’s had made her and Nyssa complete their first kills.  Kala had spent the evening in her room, on the floor, crying and asking for forgiveness from Allah while Nyssa sat beside her, holding her hand.  As far back as she could remember, Kala had wondered if she was too far gone for forgiveness so she could understand where Sara’s fears were coming from.

 

Sara nodded thoughtfully.  She flicked the small charm on the necklace between her pointer and middle fingers of her left hand and sighed.

 

“What’s with the existential crisis tonight?” Kala knew the answer to the question before she asked it.  The new developments with Kingpin and the potential player that she was keeping from Sara was eating her alive too. 

 

Sara knew exactly which dangerous trail her brain was beginning to venture to so she shook her head as if to shake the bad images away.  She turned over in the bed and met eyes with Kala in the dark room.  “Do you remember our first mission in America?”

 

Kala chuckled deeply and flipped back onto her back.  “Of course.  You and Nyssa left me to do the mission by myself while you two had a mini vacation.”

 

“It was an easy mission,” Sara laughed with her.  Her eyes watered a little and she smiled.  “It was the best day of my life.”

 

 

 

 

_“Nyssa, are you ready?” Sara yelled through the bathroom door as she checked herself out in the hallway mirror._

_“I’m having doubts about this,” Nyssa replied back through the closed door._

_Sara adjusted the blue Henley-style shirt she had on and pulled her blonde hair over her right shoulder.  She loved when she got to wear civilian clothes.  It made her feel a little bit human again.  “Kala said she has this one.  It’s an easy job and I want to show you some American fun.”_

_“I don’t know,” Nyssa said as she opened the bathroom door and stepped out.  Sara admired the tight black jeans and simple black v neck she was wearing.  The woman had tied it together with a pair of heeled boots that gave her even more of a height advantage over the blonde._

_“Damn, I’ve got to change shoes,” Sara complained as she rushed back in the bedroom to grab her own boots.  She slipped them on quickly and rejoined Nyssa in the living room.  There was still a definite height difference between the two but the boots helped.  She grabbed her leather jacket off the hook by the door and tossed Nyssa hers._

_“Are you sure...” Nyssa started but was promptly interrupted._

_“Please babe,” Sara said, stepping closer to Nyssa and taking her face in her hands.  “Kala has this under control and I have been waiting months to get a mission in the United States.”_

_“Why is this so important to you beloved?”_

_Sara’s confidence wavered at the question and she avoided Nyssa’s intense stare, finding a particularly interesting piece of fuzz on the taller girl’s jacket.  “It’s just...you’ve taken me around Paris and Rome and Berlin and all of those places are beautiful but this...this is the one time that I can take you somewhere.  I can take YOU on a date.”_

_Nyssa regarded her lover with soft eyes that she only shared with the petite girl.  “Okay, lead the way.”_

_Sara’s smile nearly blinded her as she quickly grabbed Nyssa’s hand and drug her out of the hotel room._

_They exited the hotel several minutes later, onto a busy side street.  People were coming and going from work and the two women easily blended into the crowd.  New Jersey wasn’t Sara’s favorite state and it was no Star City but she could make do with what she had.  She had started researching as soon as they landed in the states, looking for something to do and taking Nyssa to the Jersey Shore for a carnival day had sounded like the perfect thing.  Growing up, her family had went to the Star City Carnival together every year.  Even if her and Laurel were fighting or her parents had been busy, everyone got along and made time for the carnival.  Those times together had been some of her favorite and she knew that Nyssa had missed experiences like that, growing up in The League._

_It was coming on fall and the air was starting to get a bit of a nip to it, especially as they got closer to the shore.  Sara started to notice Nyssa getting more curious about where they were going as they got closer to the boardwalk and the smell of salt in the air, combined with carnival food filled their senses._

_“Have you ever been to a carnival?” Sara asked as realization set in for the brunette.  She tucked her arm through Nyssa’s as they walked._

_“No, I have not,” Nyssa said as a group of children ran by them screaming in excitement._

_“When I was a kid, I loved going to the carnival.  Eating the food, riding the rides, wasting money on the games, all of it.  I thought we could just have some fun tonight.  Be normal for a while,” Sara said._

_Nyssa could see the hesitation and nervousness in Sara’s eye.  She knew how much the young blonde wanted the perfect day so she smiled at her lover and bumped her shoulder gently.  “Of course beloved.  Show me around.”_

_Their evening went by too quickly as Sara introduced Nyssa to foods she had never had, forced her to play all of the carnival games to win her prizes, and introducing Nyssa to the thrill of carnival rides.  Several hours later, they were walking along the boardwalk among the other tourists and to Sara, it was one of the few times that she felt like she was in a completely normal relationship.  She was holding a giant stuffed dog that Nyssa had won her at the dart game, ignoring the fact that it would not be able to go back to Nanda Parbat with her.  The only souvenir from this trip would be their memories._

_They walked down closer to the water and Sara plopped down in the sand, sitting her dog beside her.  Nyssa followed her to the ground gracefully and sat close to the blonde, letting their knees touch and their fingers entwine._

_“Did you have fun?” Sara asked after several minutes of silence._

_“I truly did,” Nyssa answered without hesitation.  “Was taking me on a date everything you had hoped for?”_

_Sara turned to face the brunette who was looking at her with the same intensity in her dark eyes that was always there when she looked at Sara.  It was an intensity that would have scared Sara before everything that happened on The Queen’s Gambit and Lian Yu but with Nyssa, everything was different.  Nyssa made her feel loved and safe. “It was everything I hope for and more.”  She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Nyssa’s lips, melting into the girl’s soft lips and the warm hand on her cheek._

_“I think your dog is watching us,” Nyssa joked quietly as she pulled away from the kiss.  She nodded her head towards the stuffed dog that was laying in the sand, looking up at them._

_Sara chuckled and picked up the little brown stuffed animal and looked at it lovingly.  “Too bad he can’t come home with us.  I’d like something to remember you hustling a bunch of carnies at darts.”_

_Nyssa laughed with her and then reached in her pocket.  “I know that he can’t come back to Nanda Parbat with us but this can.”  She pulled a tiny box out of her pocket and opened it up for Sara to see inside.  Inside was a delicate gold chain rolled up neatly.  On the end of the chain was a small oval shaped, ivory bead with flakes of blue in it.  The bead hung off the chain like a charm as Nyssa picked it up out of the box and offered it to Sara._

_“This is the one from that little stand,” Sara said as she took the necklace from Nyssa’s hands and admired it._

_“It is.”  Nyssa had noticed Sara admiring the necklace at a small stand near the end of the boardwalk.  A young woman and her daughter had handmade the pieces and were selling them and Sara had fell in love with the little girl and the necklace.  She had admired it for a while before laying it down._

_“How did you…?”_

_“I snuck off when you went to the bathroom and bought it for you.  I even gave them a little extra to help them out.  Now even if something happens and times aren’t always the best, you can look at this necklace and remember this day and how much I love you forever,” Nyssa said as she took the necklace back and put it around Sara’s neck._

_Sara kissed Nyssa hard enough that it took both of their breath and she had to break the kiss sooner than she wanted to.  She rested her forehead against Nyssa’s.  “I’ll never forget this.  I promise.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. We're nearing the end of this fic. I would say four or five more chapters will wrap it up. Would anyone be interested in more of Kala's back story? I'm having to learn a lot about Islam and Middle Eastern culture to write her and do her justice and I am really enjoying it. Also, to add onto that, I am learning so if something is wrong PLEASE correct me! I don't want to misrepresent anyone! 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and let me know what you think is coming and what you would like to see!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, there's the first chapter. Not overly long but we're just building right now. The next chapter will be a flashback that hopefully gives you a little more insight into the relationship between Sara, Nyssa, and Kala. 
> 
> What do you guys think of Kala? Could you picture her? Do you need more description in the coming chapters? I find there isn't a lot of well-represented "butch" lesbians in current media and that's what I want Kala to reflect in my writing. 
> 
> All CC welcome! Tell me what you're thinking and what you'd like to see!


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